110 HR 1025 : Lower Republican River Basin Study U.S. House of Representatives 2007-05-09 text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.

IIB 110th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 1025 IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES May 8, 2007 Received May 9, 2007 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources AN ACT To authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a study to determine the feasibility of implementing a water supply and conservation project to improve water supply reliability, increase the capacity of water storage, and improve water management efficiency in the Republican River Basin between Harlan County Lake in Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Lower Republican River Basin Study Act.

2.

Republican River Basin feasibility study

(a)

Authorization of study

Pursuant to reclamation laws, the Secretary of the Interior, acting through the Bureau of Reclamation and in consultation and cooperation with the States of Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado, may conduct a study to— (1)determine the feasibility of implementing a water supply and conservation project that will— (A)improve water supply reliability in the Republican River Basin between Harlan County Lake in Nebraska and Milford Lake in Kansas, including areas in the counties of Harlan, Franklin, Webster, and Nuckolls in Nebraska and Jewel, Republic, Cloud, Washington, and Clay in Kansas (in this section referred to as the Republican River Basin); (B)increase the capacity of water storage through modifications of existing projects or through new projects that serve areas in the Republican River Basin; and (C)improve water management efficiency in the Republican River Basin through conservation and other available means and, where appropriate, evaluate integrated water resource management and supply needs in the Republican River Basin; and (2)consider appropriate cost-sharing options for implementation of the project. (b)

Cost sharing

The Federal share of the cost of the study shall not exceed 50 percent of the total cost of the study, and shall be nonreimbursable. (c)

Cooperative agreements

The Secretary shall undertake the study through cooperative agreements with the State of Kansas or Nebraska and other appropriate entities determined by the Secretary. (d)

Completion and report

(1)

In general

Except as provided in paragraph (2), not later than 3 years after the date of the enactment of this section the Secretary of the Interior shall complete the study and transmit to the Congress a report containing the results of the study. (2)

Extension

If the Secretary determines that the study cannot be completed within the 3-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary— (A)shall, at the time of that determination, report to the Congress on the status of the study, including an estimate of the date of completion; and (B)complete the study and transmit to the Congress a report containing the results of the study by not later than that date. (e)

Sunset of authority

The authority of the Secretary to carry out any provisions of this Act shall terminate 10 years after the date of the enactment of this Act.

Passed the House of Representatives May 7, 2007. Lorraine C. Miller, Clerk.